Drapery hook



p; .1. HANDLEY DRAPERY HOOK Filed Oct. 24, 1951 Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAPERY HOOK Daniel J. Handley, Mattoon, Ill.

Application October 24, 1951, Serial No. 252,923

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to drapery hooks, and with regard to certain more specific features, to an improvement upon the hook shown in my United States patent application Serial No. 224,875, for Pleated Drapery, filed May '7, 1951.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a hook assembly for use with draperies having certain pleat-forming strips, which assembly has pleat-forming means movably organized with a hook-and-prong assembly for more convenient application of the holding prongs and more convenient application of the pleat-forming means; the provision of an improved article of this class wherein the pleatforming means acts as a pinching clip for central pleats and is cooperated with by said prongs to form a tight holding means for outside pleats; and the provision of means of the clas described which forms a neater and more compact pinch pleat at the head of drapery. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of part-s which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my new hook with its pinch clip in an elevated position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing said clip in a downward position relative to the prongs of the hook;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an initial operation in applying the hook to drapery provided with a pleat-forming strip;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position of the hook after application has been completed;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing an alternative form of the invention.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral I the assembly forming the subject matter of the present invention. This is constituted by a supporting hook-forming loop 3 from which extends a downwardly directed shank 5, the hook 3 and the shank 5 being joined at a bend 1. The loop 3 is for hooking over a supporting drapery hanging rod shown diagrammatically at 2. At its lower end the shank 5 is curved, as shown at 9, for permanent attachment with a curved portion ll between two upwardly extending prongs I3. Parts II and I3 form an upwardly open, hairpin-like structure. At numeral I5 is shown a spring clip constituted by two legs I'l, flared outward at their ends as shown at l9 and intermediately shaped to provide acircular slide bearing 2| loosely slidable along the shank 5 and the portion of the hook 3 which is above the bend I. The bearing fit is loose enough that bearing 2| may traverse the bend. Thus the clip l5 and the remainder of the hook-shank-and-prong assembly are relatively movable, i. e., the clip may move up and down on the hook-shank-and-prong assembly, or the hook-shank-and-prong assembly may move up and down relatively to the clip. It is preferable that the clip be composed of sufliciently tempered fiat spring stock which is resilient but will not permanently deform under repeated use. Such flat stock results in a cylindric slide connection between the clip I5 and shank 5 but the fit is loose enough that the bend 1 may be traversed. As Fig. 2 indicates, the clip is of a form which will slide in between the prongs l3 as the bearing 2| slides relatively to the shank 5. The legs I! of the clip l5 and bowed, as shown at 23', for the purpose of accepting between them an amount of material in several pleats, as will appear.

Figs. 3 and 4 show how the hook assembly is used. Numeral 25 indicates a drape which is to be pleated. Attached to the upper edge of the drape is a pleat-forming strip 21 of relatively stiff but foldable fabric material such as buckram. The strip 21 is provided with spaced groups of creases 29, seven creases being used in the group shown. The outermost creases in each group have apertures 3| near the lower longitudinal portion of the strip. The drape 25 is hemmed over and seamed at the top to the strip 21, as shown at 33. At the bottom it is seamed thereto as shown at 35. Between the seams 33 and 35 the strip and the drape are preferably unattached.

To apply the hook assembly, the strip 21, with its attached drape 25, is manipulated to form two pleats of a group, as indicated in Fig. 3. Then the clip I5 (with the hook-shank-and-prong assembly lowered) is sprung over these pleats in the region slightly above the apertures 3|, so as to place the upper ends of the prongs l3 approximately in line with the apertures 3|. Then the strip 21 is further folded, so as to form two more outer pleats covering the legs ll of the clip l5. This places the apertures 3i so that the prongs I3 may conveniently be introduced into them into position between the strip 2'! and the drape material, the hook-shank-and-prong assembly being at this time raised and angled. The result is as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein the clip l5 locks the innermost (two) pleats, and the prongs l3 wedge against the sides of the clip to lock the'outer (two), pleats in place. It will be understood that although four pleats are shown, two being held by the clip and two by the prongs, other numbers may be employed, in each case the spring clip holding the central pleats and the prongs the outer ones.

In Fig. 6 is shown an alternative embodiment of the invention, in which corresponding reference characters indicate parts corresponding to those above-described. The difference is that the prongs it are pointed, as indicated at El. In the application of this form of the invention, the apertures ,3! are not necessary (although they may be used) in proceeding from the arangement of parts shown in Fig.3 to that shown in Fig. l, since the points 3"? may be pierced through the. strip '2? on the outer creases 29 at the present locations of the apertures 3!. The piercing of the points 3? through the strip 2'! should be effected preferably without also piercing the fabric of the drape. fabric 25 adjacent the outside of the strip 2'! is free of the strip in the region between the seams 33 and 35..

The superiority of the invention lies in the convenience with-which the hook assembly may be. applied to the pleated strip of the drape, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and the very neat and tightcompacting of the pleats which is accomplished, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is here pointed out, according to the requirements of Rule 7 8, that said application Serial No. 224,875 shows and claims the hook, upon which the. hook disclosed herein is an improvement. Said application also shows and claims the pleatforming strip referred to herein.

In vView of the above, it will be seen that the This is possible because the part of the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A pleat-forming drapery hook'comprising a member having an elongate shank and a loop at one end of the shank adapted for cooperation with a drapery hanging rod, a pair of elongate prongs extending from the other end of the shank in upwardly extending spaced relation with one another and with the shank, and a clip member having aslide connection with the shank and having spaced legs adapted to extend between the prongs, whereby the clip may be applied to a pleated curtain to hold intermediate pleats and the shank moved upward with respect thereto to cause said prongs to hold endwise pleats,

2. A pleat-forming drapery hook made accordto claim 1 wherein the clip member is constituted by spring material.

3. A pleat-forming drapery hook made according to claim 1 wherein there is an angled portion between the shank and the loop adapted'to be traversed by the slide connection of the. clip.

A pleat-forming drapery hook made accordi to claim 3 wherein the clip member is composed of resilient flat stock forming a cylindrical;-

portion at said slide connection and readily slid-- able on said angled portion.

DANIEL J. HANDLFY.

REFERENCES, crrno The following references are of record'inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,091,471 Ashmore Mar. 31, 1914. 2,524,477 Robertson Oct. 3, 1950 2,558,467 Solomon June 26,1951 

